Garment seat construction



Oct. 9, 1934. s. R. HICKERSON GARMENT SEAT CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 13,1933 m m N m 1 Patented Oct. 9, 1934 1,976,126 GARMENT SEATCQNSTRUCTIIQN I Samuel B. Hickerson, Brainerd,

Application February 13, 1933, Serial No. 656,401

Claims.

This invention relates to garments and particularly to seatconstructions therefor.

It is the general object of this invention to provide a novel andimproved seat construction 5 for a garment adapted to enclose the trunkand upper legs of the wearer, whereby the wearer can without dimcultyand with a minimum of effort open the seat of the garment to perform thefunctions of nature.

will more fully appear from the following description made in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters referto the same or similar parts throughout the various views, and in which,

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a garment embodying theinvention:

Fig. 2 is a view in rear elevation illustrating the seat of the garmentclosed up;

Fig. 3 is a view in rear elevation of the seat of the garment opened up;and

Fig. i is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 asindicated by the arrows.

Although the present invention may be embodied in either exteriorgarments or under garments for men, womenor children, in the illustratedembodiment, a childs exterior garrnent commonly known in thenorthwestern part of the United States as a snow suit is illustrated.This garment illustrated is a union garment having a trouser-likeportion 5 integrally joined to a coat-like portion 6. The legs of thetrouser portion of the garment are separated from the crotch '7 of thegarment downwardly as it is customary in this type of garment. To permitthe garment to be readily donned or taken off by the wearer, the garmentis separated from the collar portion downwardly at the front to a pointsomewhat above the crotch '7 it and a slide fastener 8 is secured to thethus separated edges of the garment for releasably securing these edgestogether. To keep the slide fastener 8 from separating while the garmentis being worn, a strap 9 having a buttonhole at its free end may beattached to one side of the collar of the garment for cooperativeengagement with a button 10 secured to the other side of the collar. 1

In accordance with the present invention, the 59 back of the garment isvertically divided from the crotch 7 to the waistline, thereby formingedges 11 normally in approximate abutment when the garment is being wornand the seat is closed, as shown in Fig. 2. The cloth at these edges 11is reversely bent on itself, as best shown The objects and advantages ofthe invention in Fig. 4, and sewed to form double thicknesses of thematerial at these edges. The garment is also divided at the backhorizontally at the waistline to form edges 12 and the edge 13. Thematerial at these edges 12 and 13 of the garment is 0 also reverselybent on itself and sewed to form double thicknesses adjacent theseedges. The two divisions in the rear of the garment forming the edges11, 12 and 13 produce flaps 14, each fiap having an edge 11 and an edge12.

A slide fastener 15 is applied to the two edges 11 of the flaps 14 andthis slide fastener includes the usual tapes 15a fastened adjacent theedges 11 and carrying a multiplicity of closely arranged locking members1511 which may be brought together for engagement by means of a lockermember 150 through movement of the same in an upward direction. Thelocking members 15a may be disengaged by movement of the locker member15c in a downward direction. It should be noted that, as best shown inFig. 4, the edges 11 overlie'the major portions of the locking members15b when they are engaged so that the material forming the garmentsubstantially covers the slide fastener 15 to prevent exposure of themajor portion of the slide fastener and also to prevent snow fromsifting through from the outside into the interior of the garmentbetween the different locking F members 151) of the fastener.

Another slide fastener 16 -is applied to the edge 12 of the left handflap 14 and to the left portion of the edge 13. This fastener 16 issecured to the material in much the same manner as the slide fastener 15and the locking members of the fasteners 16 may be brought together forengagement by means of a locker member 16c by movement of the lockermember 16c from left to right in a horizontal direction. Similarly thelocking members of the slide fastener 16 may be disengaged by movementof the locker member 16c from right to left in a'horizontal direction.

A third slide fastener 1'7 is applied to the edge 12 of the right handfiap l land to the right portion of the edge 13. This fastener 17 isexm0 actly similar to the slide fastener 16 with the exception that thelocking members of the fas tener 1? may be brought together forengagement by means of a locking member 170 through movement of the samefrom right to left in a horizontal direction. Similarly the lockingmembers of the slide fastener 17 may be disengaged by movement of thelocker member rom left to right in. a horizontal direction.

With the construction described, it will be 17 may be operated to eitherclose the seat of the garment or to open the seat of the garment widely.It will also be noted that when the seat is closed, the various lockermembers 150, 16a and 170 of the three slide fasteners will all bedisposed adjacent the corners of the flaps 14 so that they may bereadily grasped and moved in proper directions to open the seat of thegarment with a minimum of effort.

To the rear portion of the waistline of the garment slightly above theedge 13, the upper edge of a belt 18 is sewed, this belt preferablybeing provided with free portions extending to the front of the garmentand connected across the front of the waistline at their ends by meansof a buckle 19. The rear portion of this belt 18 projects some distancebelow the edge 13 and the edges 12 when the seat is closed andcooperating fastening means, such as buttons 20 and button holes 21, areprovided at the corners of the flaps l4 and in the rear portion of thebelt 18. The buttons 20 may be engaged in the button holes 21 when theseat is closed to prevent the slide fasteners 15, 16 and 17 fromseparating and the rear portion of the belt will act to conceal thefasteners 16 and 17 as well as to overlie the same and thereby preventsnow from filtering through the locking members of these fasteners fromthe exterior of the garment to the interior of the garment.

It will be seen that a garment is provided having a seat portion whichcan be quickly and easily opened up when occasion demands and which canbe quickly closed with a minimum of effort. Although the seatconstruction of the invention is particularly adapted for use inconnection with outer garments worn by children, it can be effectivelyapplied to inner garments worn by children and to outer and innergarments worn by men and women.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various partswithout departing from the scope of the present invention, whichgenerally stated, consists in the matter shown and described and setforth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A garment shaped to enclose the trunk and upper parts of the legs ofthe wearer, said garment having a waistline and a crotch, said garmentbeing divided along the rear portion of said waistline and being furtherdivided at the rear from the waistline to the crotch to form a pair offlaps, a slide fastener secured to the edgesof said flaps forinedby thedivision between the waistline and; crotch and slide fasteners securedto the remaining edges of said flaps and to the portion of the waistlineformed by the division along the back portion thereof.

2. A garment shaped to enclose the trunk and upper portions of the legs'of the wearer and having a waistline and a crotch, said garment beingdivided at its rear along the back portion of the waistline and alsofrom the waistline to the crotch to form flaps which when cload havesubstantially vertical edges and substantially horizontal edges, a slidefastener noted that the three slide fasteners 15, 16 and secured to thevertical edges of said two flaps for releasably connecting said verticaledges and a pair of slide fasteners secured respectively to thehorizontal edges of the two flaps and also secured to the edge of thewaistline formed by the division therein, said last mentioned slidefasteners being adapted to releasably connect the horizontal edges ofsaid flaps with said waistline.

3. A garment shaped to enclose the trunkand upper portions of the legsof the wearer, said garment having a waistline and a crotch, saidgarment being divided along the rear portion of the waistline and beingfurther dividedat the rear from the waistline to the crotch to form apair of flaps, slide fasteners applied to opposing edges of said garmentformed by the divisions therein, a strip of material secured to theoutside of the rear portion of said garment above the waistline divisiontherein and projecting downwardly below said waistline division andoutwardly of the slide fasteners along said waistline division andcooperating fastening means on said strip and flaps for releasableengagement.

l 4. A garment shaped to enclose the trunk and upper portions of thelegs of the wearer and having a waistline and a crotch, said garmentbeing divided at its rear along the back portion of the waistline andbeing also divided at its rear from the waistline to the crotch to formflaps which when closed have substantially vertical edges andsubstantially horizontal edges, a slide fastener secured to the verticaledges of said two flaps for releasably connecting said vertical edgesand a pair of slide fasteners secured respectively to the horizontaledges of the two flaps and also secured to the edge of the waistlineformed by the division therein, said last mentioned slide fastenersbeing adapted to releasably connect the horizontal edges of said flapsto the edge of said waistline, a strip of material secured at its upperedge to the outer edge of the rear portion of the waistline above saidedge of the waistline and extending below the waistline division andoutwardly of the slide fasteners along said waistline division andco-operating fastening means on said strip and on the corners of saidflaps for releasable engagement.

5. A garment shaped to enclose the trunk and upper portions of the legsof the wearer, said garment having a waistline and crotch, said garmentbeing divided along the rear portion of the waistline and being furtherdivided at the rear from the waistline to the crotch to form a pair offlaps, slide fasteners applied to opposing edges of said garment formedby the divisions therein, a belt-like strip of material extending atleast across the rear portion of the garment and secured to the outsidevthereof above the waistline division therein,

said strip projecting downwardly below and exteriorly of said waistlinedivision to conceal said slide fasteners therealong, and cooperatingfastening means on said strip and said flaps for releasable engagementto retain said strip in concealing position.

SAMUEL R. HICKERSON. 14

